Evaporative cooler



EVAPORATIVE COOLER Filed Feb. 14, 1964 5 $heets-$heet l IIVI/E/VTOR JACK E. HERWEG ATTQRA/FYS Oct. 25, 1966 J. E. HERWEG EVAPORATIVE COOLER 5 Sheets--$heet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1964 FIG. 2

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ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1966 J. E. HERWEG 3,281,127

EVAPORATIVE COOLER Filed Feb. 14, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JACK E. HERWEG ATTORNEYS United States Patent v O f 3,281,127 EVAPORATIVE COOLER Jack E. Herweg, Peabody, Mass., assignor to Automatic Radio Mfg. Co., Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Feb. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 344,968 8 Claims. (Cl. 26128) The present invention relates to a cooler and in particular to a cooling mechanism particularly adapted for use in low humidity atmospheres.

Effective cooling may be obtained in atmospheres of relatively low humidity by introducing moisture or moisture laden air in the immeidate vicinity of the objects and individuals being cooled. Under such conditions the relatively low humidity of the surrounding air causes a relatively rapid evaporation or dispersion of the introduced moisture about the object or person with a consequent lowering of temperature. This effect is particularly useful and noticeable where the drier air is circulated. For such reasons the techniques for cooling described above are particularly adapted for use in connection with the cooling of interiors of vehicles such as automobiles or trucks.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means and method of cooling air and in particular air having a relatively low humidity. It is also an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive and relatively simple means by which the atmosphere in vehicles may be cooled.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a means for cooling air in vehicles by using principles of operation in which the humidity of the air in the immediate vicinity of the objects or individuals being cooled is raised above the humidity of the surrounding atmosphere. In this connection it is an object of this invention to provide a cooling assembly adapted to be installed in a vehicle in which air may be humidified by drawing drier air through a container having water dispersed there-in so as to load the air passing therethrough with moisture before passing this moisture laden air outwardly of the assembly.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cooler assembly particularly useful for vehicles such as automobiles having a casing adapted to be secured to the cowling or dashboard area of an automobile or other vehicle which casing contains a simple and effective mechanism for humidifying air passing through the assembly. Such a casing has within it a container through which air is adapted to pass with the air being humidified by a moisture laden filter in the container. Air drawn through this container is then blown from the casing by a blower motor assembly.

A further object of this invention contemplates the 'use of a simple and effective means in the cooler assembly for putting water into a container within the casing without the necessity of removing the cooling assembly.

Thes and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooler embodying the invention and showing it as it is being charged with water;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional side elevation taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with portions of the top Wall of the casing broken away, and;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

3,281,127 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 ice In the cooler illustrated in the drawings an enclosure is formed by the casing 1. This casing is formed with continuous side walls 3, 4, 5 and 6, a top wall 7 and bottom wall 8. The walls may be arranged in any suitable geometric form to conform with the particular embodiment for which the cooler is designed. The embodiment disclosed in the drawings is particularly designed for use in automobiles. Here the top wall 7 terminates at its forward end in an arcuate section 9 which merges into the forward wall 6. A projecting section 10 is continuous with the forward wall 6, side walls 4 and 5 and bottom wall 8 to accommodate the internal components. The casing 1 is preferably substantially air tight except for the openings described hereafter so as to permit a controlled flow of air into, through and out of this casing.

The casing 1 is provided with an inlet opening 12 in its top wall 7. An outlet vent 13 is also formed in the casing, preferably in a side wall. In the preferred embodiment this outlet opening 13 is formed at the end of the projecting section 10 and is adapted to be positioned in an accessible location directly below the automobile dashboard when the cooler is secured in an automobile. Suitable baflie vents or nozzles of conventional design as indicated at 14 may be secured in the outlet vent 13 by suitable and conventional means. These baflie vents 14 may be adapted to direct flow of air through the vents in any of several directions by adjustment of conventional adjusting levers or dials 15.

Contained within the casing is a container 20 which is preferably made of plastic. This container may have a substantially elongated rectangular shape as illustrated in the drawings and is secured by suitable means within the casing directly below opening 12. The container is formed with a pair of openings. One of these openings 22 which is preferably formed in the top wall 21 of the container interconnects the interior of the container 20 with the interior of the casing 1. The other opening 23 is preferably coaxially aligned with opening 12 in the casing 1 and is formed in the top wall 21. A sleeve 24 which is annular in configuration and which is preferably open .at its upper and lower ends extends vertically through the top wall of the container 20. This sleeve is formed with its outer surface engaging the periphery of opening 23 and with its upper end projecting above wall 21 into engagament with opening 12 of the casing 1. The sleeve 24 preferably is sealed to the periphery of the opening 12 so that all air passing downwardly through the opening 12 will pass directly into the sleeve 24. The sleeve 24 also preferably projects slightly above the wall 7 as indicated at 26 in FIG. 2. The lower end of sleeve 24 projects downwardly well into the container 20 and is open at its lower end with the interior of the container as indicated at 27. Preferably this may be accomplished by terminating the peripheral lower edge of the sleeve 24 a short distance above the bottom wall 29 of the container.

A quantity of water absorbent fibrous air filter material 31 is positioned within the container 20. This water absorbent fibrous material may comprise excelsior or any other suitable material through which air may pass so that air passing through will become moisture laden from the water held by the material. The excelsior or other water absorbent material may be prevented from coming through the opening 22 by a Wire mesh screen 33 or by other suitable means.

A butterfly valve 34 is positioned within sleeve 24 close to its upper end. This valve may be supported on a transverse pivot shaft 35 for pivoting from a vertical to substantially horizontal position within the sleeve 24. The butterfly valve 34 is controlled so that it may open or close the upper end of the sleeve 24 through external -the tube 42 is then inserted into a water supply 67.

means. Such means may include a wire cable. One end of this wire cable is secured at 36 to the butterfly valve with the cable passing through the wall of the sleeve 24 and through a flexible cable 37 outwardly to the forward side wall where the end of the cable is anchored to the shaft 38. The shaft 38 is in turn journaled for longitudinal movement in the wall 6:: with the end of this shaft having a knob 39 attached to it. The operator may thereby open or close the butterfly valve by pushing or pulling the knob 39 which thereby transmits this movement through the relatively rigid cable to the butterfly valve.

A flexible tube 41 is connected at one end 42 to the interior of the sleeve 24 between the butterfly valve 34 and the lower end of the sleeve but preferably just below the butterfly valve. The other end of the flexible tube extends outwardly of the cooler as indicated in FIG. 1.

Positioned between the container 20 and wall 6 is a blower motor means generally illustrated at 50. This blower motor means -is suitably secured within the casing and preferably comprises an electrically operated motor 51 having a shaft 52 which is rotated by the motor extending from either end of the motor housing. Secured to the shaft on either side of the motor is a conventional blower wheel 53 contained within the wheel housing 54. These blower wheels 53 may be of the turbine variety in which air is drawn into the housings 54 through the sides 55 and is then ejected through the nozzle end 56 of the housing in a direction indicated by arrows 57. This blower motor assembly is arranged with the nozzles projecting into the projection of the casing directly behind the baflle vent 14. In this arrangement the side walls 55 of the housing 54 are spaced inwardly from the side walls of the casing 1 so as to permit passage of air from Within the casing 1 into the housing of the blower motor means. The blower motor means may be electrically operated by a suitable and conventional circuit system in which push button or rotary switch 60 mounted adjacent push button 39 may be used to control the actuation of the motor 51.

In the operation of this device, the cooler must first be charged with a supply of water to wet the fiber material within the container 20. This is accomplished by closing the butterfly valve which may be accomplished by pulling the knob 39 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The blower motor 51 is then turned on to maximum speed. The free end of The water supply which may for example be contained in a bottle such as illustrated is moved upwardly until the water flows from the bottle 67 through the tube 42. Care should be taken, however, not to raise the bottle too high since the water in the bottle 67 may thereby be syphoned into the container which would result in an uncontrolled amount of water passing into this container. If the bottle 67 is raised to its optimum height the water will be drawn by a semi-vacuum from the bottle 67 through the tube 42 down the sleeve 24 and into the container 20. The water will continue to flow into the container 20 until the water level within the container reaches the upper edge of the passage 27. At this point the water will stop flowing from the bottle 67 and sufllcient water will be contained within the container 20 for satisfactory operation.

In the embodiment illustrated it is preferable to limit the amount of water to about two quarts.

After the water has been drawn into the container 20, the butterfly valve is opened by pushing the knob 39 inwardly and the bottle 67 of water is withdrawn.

When the butterfly valve is closed by pushing the knob 39 the blower motor 51 willcause dry air to flow from outside the casing into the sleeve 24, downwardly through the bottom of the sleeve into the container 20 through the excelsior or water absorbent material where the air picks up moisture and becomes moisture laden, out of the container 20, through the opening 22 and into the interior of the casing, through the end wall openings of the housing 55 and the blower wheels to the nozzle end 56 of the blower housing, all as illustrated by the arrows 70a to 70g inclusive. Air thus passing through the end of the nozzles 56 as indicated by arrow 57 will be relatively high in moisture content and may thereby in a relatively dry, hot atmosphere, etfectively cool objects and persons nearby.

What is claimed is:

1. A cooler comprising,

an enclosure forming a casing having continuous bottom, side, top and forward walls within which air may flow in selected directions,

said casing also having an air outlet vent on one side wall and an inlet opening in said top wall,

a container positioned within said casing having a pair of openings formed therein with one of said openings in the top wall and the other opening interconnecting the interior of said container with the interior of said casing at a point above said bottom wall,

a vertically extending sleeve having its upper end extending to and engaging the periphery of said inlet opening whereby air passing into said inlet opening will pass downwardly through said sleeve and an opening at the lower end of said sleeve interconnecting the interior of said sleeve with the interior of said container,

a quantity of water absorbent fibrous material positioned within said container,

a butterfly valve pivotally supported in said sleeve and adapted on closing to seal the upper end of said sleeve,

external means connected to said valve for actuating it,

a tube having one end opening into the interior of said sleeve intermediate said valve and the lower end of said sleeve, with the other end extending outwardly of said casing,

blower motor means positioned within said casing intermediate said container and said air outlet vent,

said motor means having an exhaust fan operated thereby and positioned when actuated to draw air from said sleeve through said container and then into and out of said casing.

2. A cooler as set forth in claim 1 wherein,

said external means comprises a cable engaging said butterfly valve atone end and passing from said casing at the other end,

with said other end engaged by a knob.

3. A cooler as set forth in claim 2 wherein said blower motor means comprises an electric motor with said exhaust fan operated thereby and with passage means in which said fan is positioned with said passage opening at one end into said casing and with the other end thereof opening into said outlet vent, and electrical switch means operatively connected to said electric motor.

4. A cooler comprising an enclosure forming a casing with an air outlet vent and an inlet opening formed therein,

a container positioned within said casing and having a pair of openings formed therein, with one opening interconnecting the interior of said container and the interior of said casing and the other opening connecting the interior of said container and the exterior of said casing,

a quantity of water absorbent air filter material positioned within said container,

means for introducing water into said container to be absorbed by said material comprising an open sleeve positioned in said other opening of said container with the upper end of said sleeve extending to said inlet opening and the lower end extending downwardly into the interior of said container with said lower end opening into said container,

valve means positioned in said sleeve for closing said upper end of said sleeve,

means for passing water into said sleeve between said valve means and said lower end,

a sump within the lower portion of said container, and said sleeve extending downwardly to adjacent the upper portion of said sump,

and blower motor means positioned within said casing and having exhaust fan means operated thereby po sitioned when activated to draw air from said container through said one opening and blow said air out through said air outlet vent.

5. A cooler comprising an enclosure forming a casing with an air outlet vent and an inlet opening formed therein,

a container positioned within said casing and having a pair of openings formed therein, with one opening interconnecting the interior of said container and the interior of said casing and with the other open ing connecting the interior of said container and the exterior of said casing,

a quantity of water absorbent air filter material positioned within said container,

means for introducing water into said container to be absorbed by said material comprising an open sleeve positioned in said other opening of said container with the upper end of said sleeve extending to and secured to the periphery of said inlet opening and the lower end extending downwardly into the interior of said container with said lower end opening into said container,

valve means comprising a butterfly valve positioned in said sleeve for closing said upper end of said sleeve,

external means connected to said butterfly valve to open and close it, and

means for passing water into said sleeve between said valve means and said lower end comprising a tube having one end positioned in the interior of said sleeve and the other end extending outwardly of said casing.

6. A cooler as set forth in claim 5 wherein said casing has a top wall and forward wall with said inlet opening in said top wall and said outlet vent in said forward wall,

said container positioned below said inlet opening with said sleeve extending upwardly from the interior of said container to said inlet opening.

7. A cooler as set forth in claim 6 and blower and blower motor means secured within said casing intermediate said container and said outlet vent.

8. A cooler comprising an enclosure forming a casing with an air outlet vent and an inlet opening formed therein,

a container positioned within said casing and having a pair of openings formed therein, with one opening interconnecting the interior of said container and the interior of said casing and with the other opening connecting the interior of said container and the exterior of said casing,

a quantity of water absorbent air filter material positioned within said container,

an open sleeve positioned in said other opening of said container with the upper end of said sleeve extending to said inlet opening and the lower end extending downwardly into the interior of said container with the lower end opening into said container,

a sump within the lower portion of said container below said sleeve,

valve means positioned in said container for closing said sleeve,

and blower motor means positioned within said casing and having exhaust fan means operated thereby positioned when activated to draw air from said container through said other opening, sleeve and said one opening and blow said air out through said air outlet vent.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

T. R. MILES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COOLER COMPRISING, AN ENCLOSURE FORMING A CASING HAVING CONTINUOUS BOTTOM, SIDE, TOP AND FORWARD WALLS WITHIN WHICH AIR MAY FLOW IN SELECTED DIRECTIONS, SAID CASING ALSO HAVING AN AIR OUTLET VENT ON ONE SIDE WALL AND AN INLET OPENING IN SAID TOP WALL, A CONTAINER POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CASING HAVING A PAIR OF OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN WITH ONE OF SAID OPENINGS IN THE TOP WALL AND OTHER OPENING INTERCONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASING AT A POINT ABOVE SAID BOTTOM WALL, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING SLEEVE HAVING ITS UPPER END EXTENDING TO AND ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID INLET OPENING WHEREBY AIR PASSING INTO SAID INLET OPENING WILL PASS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND AN OPENING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SLEEVE INTERCONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID SLEEVE WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, A QUANTITY OF WATER ABSORBENT FIBROUS MATERIAL POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER. A BUTTERFLY VALVE PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED IN SAID SLEEVE AND ADAPTED ON CLOSING TO SEAL THE UPPER END OF SAID SLEEVE, EXTERNAL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE FOR ACTUATING IT, A TUBE HAVING ONE END OPENING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SLEEVE INTERMEDIATE SAID VALVE AND THE LOWER END OF SAID SLEEVE, WITH THE OTHER END EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING, BLOWER MOTOR MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CASING INTERMEDIATE SAID CONTAINER AND SAID AIR OUTLET VENT, SAID MOTOAR MEANS HAVING AN EXHAUST FAN OPERATED THEREBY AND POSITIONED WHEN ACTUATED TO DRAW AIR FROM SAID SLEEVE THROUGH SAID CONTAINER AND THEN INTO AND OUT OF SAID CASING. 